Picture hanger



H. R. DENTON PICTURE HANGER May 30, 1950 Filed Aug. 9, 1947 INVENTOR. HHEVEV P. DEN TON dy jmvm Patented May 30, 1950 lTED STATES PATENT OFFICE PICTURE HANGER Harvey R. Denton, Oakland, Calif.

Application August 9, 1947, Serial No. 767,775

1 9 Claims.

This invention relates to a picture hanger, and has for one of its objects the provision of a picture hanger that is adapted to properly support a picture on the wall, and which hanger is provided with means for quickly, accurately, and positively leveling the picture, and which means will maintain the picture leveled.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a picture hanger that is readily adjustable to correctly suspend a picture against a wall with the picture adapted to be quickly removed from its suspended position on the wall for cleaning the same, and which picture may then be easily and quickly restored to its former position on the wall without the necessity for readjusting the same inasmuch as the first adjustment will not be disturbed by its removal. Another object is the provision of picture hanging means that are adjustable for easily and quickly straightening or leveling picture suspended thereby, and which means will maintain the adjustment.

Heretofore, means for suspending pictures from a Wall have for the most part included wires. Where vertical parallel wires have been used they are usually visible as they extend to the upper molding of the room, which is objectionable, and whether visible or not, it is a long and diilicult job to properly level a picture. Where a single wire is used the adjustment is more easily accomplished, but is less secure and the picture is easily shifted to a more or less cocked position requiring straightening.

In most instances, the initial hanging of a picture where wires are employed is relatively difiicult. Where the wires are concealed behind the picture there is usually considerable fumbling to engage the stationary means that is on the wall and with which the wire or wires must engage. The weight of the picture includin its frame and the points where the wires connect with the frame must be carefully considered in order to obtain a correct hanging of the picture, and frequently the wires must be attached and reattached several times before the picture is correctly suspended.

The dusting and cleaning of pictures and frames that are suspended by wires is usually neglected because of the difilculty of re-hanging the pictures after they have been removed from the stationary element or elements from which they are suspended.

The present invention overcomes all of the above objections and enables a quick and easy hanging of a picture in the correct manner, and

once correctly adjusted (which is a simple operation) the picture will remain adjusted and this adjustment will not be destroyed by removing the picture from the wall for cleaning.

Attempts have been made in the past to make hangers provided with means for leveling the pictures so they will hang straight, but they have either been too complicated and expensive for general acceptance for most pictures, or they have not provided for the quick removal of the pictures from the wall and an equally fast restoration of the picture without disturbing the adjustment. Also, the means for adjusting the pictures has, in most instances, been too difficult or inconvenient for the average person to manipulate.

The present invention merely comprises a pair of cheaply formed elements respectively adapted to be attached to the picture frame and to the wall by any suitable means such as screws or nails, and screw means for adjusting the elements relatively when the one on the wall supports the one on the picture frame.

Other objects and advantages will be seen from the specification and drawings.

In the drawings,

Fig. l is a front elevational view of a picture on a wall, the hanger being indicated in dotted lines.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional View taken along line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view similar to that of Fig. 2, but showing a slightly modified form of hanger.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the modified element of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a modified form of the wall carrying element.

In detail, the hanger of this invention is generally indicated in dotted lines at I in Fig. 1 where it is concealed behind the upper side 2 of the picture frame 3 in which the picture 4 is held. As seen in Fig. 1 the entire hanger assembly is relatively small with respect to the picture and is centrally located between the ends of the upper side 2.

The hanger comprises a horizontally extending angle strip 5, one side 8 of which is vertical and is secured by screws or nails 1, or by any other suitable means to the wall 8. The other side 9 of the angle strip is preferably lowermost and projects outwardly from the wall, and a vertically extendin screw it threadedly extends through an opening in each end of the side 9. The terminating upper end of each screw I is slotted at H for a screw driver and the upper end portion I2 is of reduced diameter to provide an upwardly facing shoulder l3 at the juncture between said upper end portion I2 and the larger diameter externally threaded .portion therebelow. 7

A horizontally extending angle strip I4 is adapted to be secured to the rear surface of the upper side 2 of the frame 3 centrally between the ends of said side 2.

The vertical side i of angle strip I4 is adapted to be secured to said frame 3 by screws 1'6, nails, or by any other suitable means. This side i5 extends upwardly from the other side I! of the strip, said latter side projecting outwardly of the upper run 2 of frame 3 and toward wall 8.

The horizontal side ii is formed with a pair of 'opning's 18 (Fig. 3) through which the upper end portions I2 of screws ii) are adapted to pass fairly loosely, but suiiiciently close to enable the marginal portions around openings is to rest on the shoulders I3 of said screws.

In hanging'the picture all the operator is required to do is to secure the strip 5 against the wall 8 at the desired level of the picture when the strip [4 is supported by the said strip 5 on screws I B that are carried by the latter. Then the picture with strip is secured thereto is elevated'and positioned so that the upper ends l2 oi screws It extend through'th'e openings it in side [1 of strip [4. The picture is then suspended from the. strip 5 by means of the screws ill that are carried by said strip. If the picture is not level, one of the other of screws Iii is elevated or lowered, as the case may be, until the picture is straight. Thereafter nothing will disturb the picture and it caneasily be lifted from the screws [0 and replaced as desired without changing the adjustment. 7

A slight modification of strip I4 is shown in Figs. 5, 6. Instead of strip M an angle strip 26 is shown in which vertical side 2| is adapted to 'ex-- tend downwardly from the horizontal side 22. This side 22 is in the form of a slight inverted V to thus form a V-shaped downwardly opening channel through the apex of which the opening 23 for screws I0 are formed.

The purpose of making the side 22 in this manner is to facilitate the sliding of the upper end portions l2 into openings 23. Once the upper ends of the screws are in the inverted groove or channel the picture may be moved slightly to the right or left until the uppermost ends 12 are in register with the openings l8 and slide therethrough. v In Fig. 7 is a modified form of the strip that is attached to the wall in which only one screw 25 is used. An upstanding lug 26 is stamped out of the other end having a shoulder 2? on which the strip that is carried by the frame is supported. Upon rotating screw 25 up or down the strip carried by the frame will fulcrum on shoulder 2 for tilting the frame.

The detailed description and drawings are illustrative of preferred forms and are not intended to restrict the invention to the precise details shown and described.

I claim: 7

l. A picture hanger comprising an upper horito the rear side of a picture and a lower horizontally elongated member therebelow adapted to be secured to a wall, separate means extending between opposite ends of said members vertically movable independently of each other for elevating or for lowering either of the ends of said upper member as desired, said upper member being supported at its ends on said separate means and said separate means being carried by said lower member.

2. A picture hanger comprising an upper hori- 'zontally elongated member adapted to be secured to the rear side of a picture and a lower horizontally elongated member therebelow adapted to be secured to a wall, vertical screws threadedly secured to said lower member at opposite ends of the latter supporting the op- .posite ends of said upper member thereon for vertical movement of opposite ends of said upper member upon rotating said screws.

3. A picture hanger comprising an upper horiaontally elongated member adapted to be secured t'othe rear side of a picture and a lower horizontally elongated member thereb'e'low adapted to be secured to a wall, vertical screws thread'edly-secured to said lower member at oposits ends ofthe latter supporting the opposite ends of said upper member thereon for vertical movement of opposite ends of said upper member upon rotating said screws, said upper member being formed with spaced openings through which the upper'ends of said screws extend for turning said screws from above said upper member.

4. A picture hanger comprising an upper hori zont'allyelongated member adapted to bese'cured to the rear side of a picture and a lower horizontally elongated member therebelow adapted-to be secured to a wall, separate means extending between opposite ends of said members vertically movable independently of each other for elevatingor forioweringeither*of the endso'f said upper member as desired, said upper memberbeing supported :at its ends on 'said separate means and saidseparate means being carried by said lower member, said members each being angle strips and being positioned "with one of the sides of said upper member over one of the sides of said lower member and the other side of said lower member being adapted to be positioned against saidwall while the other side'of said uppermember is adapted to be secured against said pic 'ture.

I 5. A picture hanger comprising an upper horiaontally elongated member adapted to 'besecured to the rear side of a picture and a lower horizontally elongated member therebelow adapted tobe secured to a wall, separate means extending between'opposite ends of said members vertically movable independently of each other for elevating or for lowering either of the ends of said upper member as'desired, said upper member be 'ingsupported at its ends on said separate means and said separate means being carried by said lower member, said members each being angle strips and being positioned with one of the sides of said upper member over oneof the sides-of said lower member and the other side of said lower member being adapted to be positioned against said wall while the other side of said upper member "is adapted to be secured against said picture, the upper ends of said screws being slotted for turning by a screwdriver fromabov e. 6. A picture hanger comprising a pair of horizontally extending angle strips positioned with one side 'of 'one'strip above one side of "the'otlii' strip, the other sides of said strips being respectively for securing to the wall and to a picture frame, the said side to be secured to the picture frame being integral with the uppermost of said superposed sides and separate means carried by the lowermost of said superposed sides thereon, one of said separate means being a vertical screw threadedly extending through said lowermost side for tilting the uppermost side upon rotation of said screw in one direction or the other.

7. In combination with a picture frame, means adapted to be stationarily secured to a wall including a pair of vertically disposed screws in threaded engagement with said stationary means for vertical movement of said screws upon rotation thereof, means rigidly secured to the rear of said frame supported on said screws at points equal distances from opposite sides of a vertical line bisecting the width of said frame whereby one or the other of the ends of said frame at one side or the other of said line may be elevated or lowered upon rotation of one of said screws in one direction or the other.

8. In combination with a picture frame, a first means adapted to be stationarily secured to a wall, a second means rigidly secured to the rear of said frame, said second means being supported on said first means at points spaced substantially equally from a vertical line bisecting the width of said frame, and said first means including a vertical screw supported for vertical movement relative to the wall to which said first means is rigidly secured upon rotation of said screw and on which screw said second means at one side of said line is supported for movement with said screw, said screw being accessible from above said frame for rotation thereof.

9. A picture hanger comprising a pair of horizontally elongated angle pieces one leg of one of said pieces being adapted to be secured against a wall with the other leg thereof projecting from said wall at substantially right angles thereto, one leg of the other piece of said pair being adapted to be secured against the upper rear side of a picture frame centrally between the ends of said upper rear side with its other leg being in vertically opposed relationship to said other leg of said first mentioned piece, and horizontally spaced means disposed between said opposed pieces adjacent their opposite ends spacing them apart, one of said spaced means comprising a vertically disposed screw threadedly extending through one leg of said opposed legs and in engagement with the other of said opposed legs whereby rotation of said screw in one direction or the other will cause the opposed ends of said legs against said screw to move either toward or away from each other.

HARVEY R. DENTON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 368,251 Stuebner Aug. 16, 1887 2,299,443 Walmsley Oct. 20, 1942 

